Controlling electric fans in cabinet assemblies

This application claims priority from and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/386,860, filed on Dec. 9, 2022, titled “Fan Speed Control By CPU Weighting,” which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates generally to housing mechanisms for expansion components. More particularly, aspects of this disclosure relate to cabinet assemblies configured to provide cooling capacity while reducing power consumption of the devices therein.

Computer systems (e.g., desktop computers, blade servers, rack-mount servers, etc.) are employed in large numbers in various applications. High demand applications, such as network based systems, data centers, or high density finite element simulations that are able to push hardware of computing systems, use servers with specialized capabilities. Accordingly, modern servers are typically designed to allow flexibility in terms of capabilities and components.

Accordingly, compute architectures have changed over time. For instance, as computing throughputs increase, edge computing has been implemented in an attempt to reduce latency associated with accessing data over networks. Accordingly, servers that were originally located in data centers are being transitioned to user locations. While this design physically shortens the distance data travels, conventional implementations of such servers render them unfeasible at the user locations for other reasons.

Specifically, servers in data centers are designed to operate at a certain performance level. Sacrifices are often made in other areas in an effort to meet these performance capabilities, and as a result, a significant amount of noise is produced as a byproduct. This noise is caused by components like cooling fans operating at incredibly high revolutions per minute (RPMs), and baffling is minimized to increase airflow which further exacerbates the situation. Sacrifices are also often made in terms of power consumption efficiency to ensure the computing components of the servers can operate in a wide range of situations. While effective in terms of performance, it is not practical that these conventional servers be implemented in environments having any noise sensitivity and/or power constraints, e.g., such as the majority of edge server applications.

Thus, there is a need for a configuration that is able to achieve significant heat dissipation while also minimizing the amount of noise produced and power consumed as a result. Moreover, these reductions must be made despite processing heavy input/output (I/O) loads received from various users, applications, etc.

The term embodiment and like terms, e.g., implementation, configuration, aspect, example, and option, are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this disclosure and the claims below. Statements containing these terms should be understood not to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the claims below. Embodiments of the present disclosure covered herein are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the disclosure and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. This summary is also not intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this disclosure, any or all drawings, and each claim.

An example method for providing cooling capacity and reducing power consumption of a server assembly is disclosed. The method includes receiving temperature information corresponding to a central processing unit (CPU) in the server assembly. The server assembly further includes a fan module having electric fans therein. The server assembly also includes a thermal heat sink, and an electrical component. The method includes determining a current power level of the CPU, and determining, using the temperature information and the current power level, a first operating speed for the electric fans. Furthermore, the method includes combining the first operating speed with a second operating speed received from a proportional-integral-derivative controller to determine a combined operating speed. The method still further includes instructing the electric fans to operate at the combined operating speed.

In some implementations, the method further includes receiving ambient temperature information from electronic temperature sensors, using the received ambient temperature information to determine an ambient temperature of the server assembly, and determining an updated operating speed by combining a third operating speed corresponding to the ambient temperature of the server assembly with the combined operating speed.

In other implementations, the current power level of the CPU includes a thermal design power value. Thus, in some implementations, determining the first operating speed for the electric fans includes comparing the thermal design power value to predetermined ranges, identifying one of the predetermined ranges that corresponds to the thermal design power value, and adjusting a base operating speed of the electric fans based on the identified predetermined range. In some implementations, adjusting the base operating speed of the electric fans based on the identified predetermined range includes: using the temperature information corresponding to the CPU to identify a duty cycle value, weighting the duty cycle value by an amount defined by the predetermined range, and instructing the electric fans to implement the weighted duty cycle.

In other implementations, the temperature information includes an average operating temperature of the CPU, and the temperature information is received from an electronic temperature sensor coupled to the CPU. For some implementations, instructing the electric fans to operate at the combined operating speed includes: sending the combined operating speed to a pulse width modulator (PWM), and instructing the PWM to cause the electric fans to operate at the combined operating speed.

In some implementations, the electric fans are configured to generate an airflow path that (i) originates at an air inlet of the server assembly, (ii) extends through the CPU and the thermal heat sink, and (iii) passes the electrical component before exiting the server assembly.

In other implementations, the server assembly includes multiple CPUs. Accordingly, determining the current power level of the CPU includes calculating an average power level of the multiple CPUs.

An example server assembly for providing cooling capacity and reducing power consumption is also disclosed. The server assembly includes an equipment room configured to implement electrical components therein, and a cabinet fan module positioned adjacent to a side of the equipment room. The cabinet fan module includes electric fans therein. Moreover, the server assembly includes an electrical component positioned in the equipment room, the electrical component having an air inlet area. The server assembly further includes, a processor for executing logic configured to perform the foregoing method according to any of the implementations.

An example computer program product for providing cooling capacity and reducing power consumption of a server assembly is also disclosed. The computer program product includes a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith. Moreover, the program instructions are readable and/or executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform the foregoing method.

The above summary is not intended to represent each embodiment or every aspect of the present disclosure. Rather, the foregoing summary merely provides an example of some of the novel aspects and features set forth herein. The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present disclosure, will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of representative embodiments and modes for carrying out the present invention, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Additional aspects of the disclosure will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.

The present disclosure is directed toward an example method for providing cooling capacity and reducing power consumption of a server assembly is disclosed. The method includes receiving temperature information corresponding to a central processing unit (CPU) in the server assembly. The server assembly further includes a fan module having electric fans therein. The server assembly also includes a thermal heat sink, and an electrical component. The method includes determining a current power level of the CPU, and determining, using the temperature information and the current power level, a first operating speed for the electric fans. Furthermore, the method includes combining the first operating speed with a second operating speed received from a proportional-integral-derivative controller to determine a combined operating speed. The method still further includes instructing the electric fans to operate at the combined operating speed.

Various embodiments are described with reference to the attached figures, where like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and are provided merely to illustrate aspects and features of the present disclosure. Numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of certain aspects and features of the present disclosure, although one having ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize that these aspects and features can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, with other relationships, or with other methods. In some instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail for illustrative purposes. The various embodiments disclosed herein are not necessarily limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are necessarily required to implement certain aspects and features of the present disclosure.

For purposes of the present detailed description, unless specifically disclaimed, and where appropriate, the singular includes the plural and vice versa. The word “including” means “including without limitation.” Moreover, words of approximation, such as “about,” “almost,” “substantially,” “approximately,” and the like, can be used herein to mean “at,” “near,” “nearly at,” “within 3-5% of,” “within acceptable manufacturing tolerances of,” or any logical combination thereof. Similarly, terms “vertical”, “horizontal”, “parallel”, and “perpendicular” are intended to additionally include “within 3-5% of” a vertical, horizontal, parallel, or perpendicular orientation, respectively. Additionally, words of direction, such as “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “above,” and “below” are intended to relate to the equivalent direction as depicted in a reference illustration; as understood contextually from the object(s) or element(s) being referenced, such as from a commonly used position for the object(s) or element(s); or as otherwise described herein.

In sharp contrast to shortcomings experienced by conventional products, embodiments included herein are able to reduce power consumption, while also improving thermal efficiency and noise reduction, without inhibiting I/O performance. In other words, the approaches herein are able to reduce the power consumption, internal temperature, and the noise profile of server assemblies like edge servers or high performance computing (HPC) servers, e.g., such that they may be placed in a wider range of locations having greater noise sensitivities and/or power constraints than typical server warehouses.

However, this improved power consumption profile, thermal transfer, and noise reduction does not result in a corresponding reduction in performance, as typically experienced by conventional implementations. In fact, it has been verified with testing, that some of the approaches described herein are able to achieve power consumption reduction in addition to heat dissipation. Specifically, some of the implementations included herein were tested and found to reduce power consumption by between about 7.3% and about 20% during idle time of a corresponding system, and reduce power consumption by between about 7.9% and about 12.5% during operation of the system under various different settings. Again, this has been conventionally unachievable and is evidence as to the improvements that are achieved by the implementations included herein.

For instance,show a server assemblythat is capable of efficiently providing cooling capacity while also reducing power consumption as well as noise production, in accordance with one embodiment. As an option, the present server assemblymay be implemented in conjunction with features from any other embodiment listed herein, such as those described with reference to the other FIGS. However, such server assemblyand others presented herein may be used in various applications and/or in permutations which may or may not be specifically described in the illustrative embodiments listed herein. Further, the server assemblypresented herein may be used in any desired environment. Thus(and the other FIGS.) may be deemed to include any possible permutation.

As shown, the server assemblyincludes an outer surfacethat serves as an outer periphery of the assembly, forming an interior area that includes various components therein. In some implementations the outer surfacefully encapsulates the interior area, e.g., to form a solid exterior for the interior area. In other implementations, one or more sides of the outer surfacemay be at least partially removed, perforated, patterned with recesses, e.g., to allow air to pass through the assembly.

Looking to the interior formed by the outer surface, a fan moduleis coupled to a fan controller. The fan moduleincludes one or more electric fans included therein and the fan controlleris preferably configured to control one or more operating settings of the electric fan(s) included in the fan module. For example, the fan controllermay be able to increase, decrease, or maintain the current operating speed of each respective electric fan in the fan moduleto achieve a desired airflow and/or power consumption profile, e.g., as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art after reading the present description. For example, in some implementations, the fan controllermay include a pulse width modulator such that pulse width modulation may be performed on signals (e.g., instructions, commands, etc.) sent to the electric fans in the fan module.

The server assembly also includes CPU and heat sink pairspositioned downstream from the fan module. Furthermore, electrical componentsare positioned downstream from the CPU and heat sink pairs. With respect to the present description, “downstream” is intended to refer to the direction in which the electric fans in the fan moduledirect airflow along the interior formed by the outer surface, e.g., towards an outlet along the outer surfacethat allows for air to exit the server assembly. In such implementations, it follows that the outer surfacemay also have one or more openings on an upstream side of the fan modulethat allow for ambient air to enter the interior formed by the outer surface, thereby forming an airflow path.

As air travels along this airflow path and passes by (e.g., through) the CPU and heat sink pairsalong with the downstream electrical components. Accordingly, the air is able to absorb some of the thermal energy produced by the CPUs (e.g., see CPUof) and electrical components, carrying it out of the server assembly. The speed of the airflow, temperature of the air in the airflow, etc., thereby has an impact on the achievable thermal capabilities of the server assembly.

For instance, the speed of the airflow (i.e., the speed by which air is moving along the airflow path) may be determined based on the operating speed(s) of the electric fans in the fan module. In other words, the electric fans may be controlled to operate at one or more desired speeds in order to maintain a particular operating temperature in the server assembly.

The heat sink in each pairmay also remove thermal energy from the server assembly. For instance, referring momentarily to, a more detailed view of a CPU and heat sink pairis illustrated in accordance with one implementation. As an option, the present CPU and heat sink pairmay be implemented in conjunction with features from any other implementation listed herein, such as those described with reference to the other FIGS., such as. However, such pairand others presented herein may be used in various applications and/or in permutations which may or may not be specifically described in the illustrative implementations listed herein. Further, the CPU and heat sink pairpresented herein may be used in any desired environment. Thus(and the other FIGS.) may be deemed to include any possible permutation.

As shown, a CPU moduleis coupled to a heat sinkby a network of tubing. A first end of the tubingis coupled (or at least positioned adjacent) to an outlet of the CPU modulesuch that air which passes through the CPU moduleenters the tubing. Preferably, a majority of the air that passes through the CPU moduleenters the tubingand is directed to the heat sink.

The heat sinkis preferably configured to extract thermal energy from the air being delivered from the CPU module. Thus, while the CPU moduleincreases the temperature of air in the system, the heat sinkis configured to counteract this increase. For instance, in some implementations, the heat sinkincludes a number of finsthat are physically spaced from each other to facilitate the extraction of thermal energy from the air passing through the fins, e.g., as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art after reading the present description.

also shows that the CPU and heat sink pairis positioned upstream from an electrical component, e.g., as shown in. It follows that the heat sinkis able to remove thermal energy from the air passing therethrough before it reaches the electrical component. The electrical componentis thereby effectively thermally insulated from the CPUby the heat sink. The thermal relationship between the CPU, the heat sink, and the electrical componentimpacts performance of the overarching system as a whole. For instance, if thermal countermeasures achieved by the heat sinkare not taken into consideration while controlling the operating speed of the electric fans in the fan module, the system as a whole may consume an unnecessary amount of energy by keeping the system unnecessarily low.

Returning again to, it follows that the relationships between the various components in the server assemblyand how they impact thermal properties in the interior formed by the outer surfaceis preferably taken into consideration when controlling the electric fans, e.g., as will be described in further detail below with respect to methodof.

As a result, implementations included herein are able to significantly improve the efficiency by which server assemblies are able to operate. Again, by dynamically adjusting the operating speed of the electric fans in an assembly to adapt to changing conditions (e.g., such as a current workload of a processor in the assembly), power consumption as a whole is reduced, and characteristics of the airflow path formed in the assemblyis improved as well.

Moreover, by incorporating the thermal characteristics of the components in the server assemblyand how they impact air temperature therein. This improves thermal regulation, allowing for the electrical components included in the server assemblyto operate in a wider range of activation states without creating an undesirably high internal temperature of the server assemblyand/or consuming an undesirably high amount of power to satisfy incoming I/O requests. The electrical componentsin the equipment room are thereby able to operate as needed rather than in a throttled manner as seen in conventional implementations that have been unable to achieved similar results to the various approaches included herein.

Other factors may also impact characteristics of the airflow path. For instance, air inlet channels may be designed to allow a desired amount (e.g., volume) of air to enter the interior formed by the outer surface. This desired amount of air may vary depending on the number of components included in the server assembly, the intended use of the server assembly, a size of the server assembly, the interior configuration(s) of the server assembly, etc. The dimensions of the various portions of the server assemblymay thereby vary depending on the implementation. For instance, the electric fans in the fan modulemay be calibrated based on the amount (e.g., volume) of air an air inlet channel is configured to provide. Similarly, the electric fans in the fan modulemay be calibrated based on the amount (e.g., volume) and direction of the air as it passes along the airflow path.

While the arrangement and/or dimensions of the different components in the server assemblymay impact the airflow flowrate (or speed at which air molecules are traveling along the airflow, availability of air also has an impact. For instance, as air speed along the airflow path increases, the airflow flowrate may increase as well. However, this linear relationship may not be true for all air speeds. Speeds outside a predetermined range (e.g., above a predetermined value) may actually decrease performance, e.g., by introducing air backflow in the server assembly. However, if the air speed is too low, there may not receive enough airflow and components may overheat as a result.

For instance, one or more guide plates, blocking plates, adjustable (e.g., selectively positionable) baffles, etc., may be positioned as desired in the server assembly. For example, the tubinginis configured to direct airflow from the CPU moduleto the heat sink. In other implementations, guide plates and/or the blocking plates may be used to reduce airflow backflow.

While implementations herein can provide improved thermal regulation capabilities, these improvements are somewhat dependent on ambient air that is drawn into the server assembly. As noted above, air passing through the server assemblyabsorbs some of the thermal energy produced by the various components therein. The speed of the airflow, temperature of the air in the airflow, etc., thereby has an impact on the achievable thermal capabilities of the server assembly.

It follows that by selectively adjusting the operating speed of the electric fans in the fan module, the fan controlleris able to control the thermal characteristics of the server assembly. For instance, according to an example, the server assemblymay serve as part of an edge computing node. The server assemblymay actually be positioned at a user's location in some implementations. This proximity to a data source allows for the server assemblyand components therein to provide content caching, service delivery, persistent data storage, etc. As a result, at least some of the implementations included herein are able to achieve faster insights, improved response times, better bandwidth availability, etc. Moreover, by improving the efficiency by which the electric fans are able to react to different situations and maintaining a desirable working environment (e.g., temperature), implementations herein are able to reduce power consumption. This is particularly desirable in situations having limited availability of power, e.g., as will be described in further detail below.

It may also be desirable that the server assemblyis implemented in environments having a lower ambient temperature than an average operating temperature in the interior formed by the outer surface. In other words, the server assemblyis preferably able to draw in ambient air that has a lower temperature than the air in the interior formed by the outer surface, e.g., during operation of the electrical components therein. In some implementations, the server assemblymay even be configured to condition (e.g., cool, dehumidify, etc.) air before it is used to cool the temperature in the equipment room, and thereby the electrical components therein.

As noted above, electric fans positioned in the fan moduleofare used to at least partially generate the airflow that passes through the server assembly. In other words, the electric fans are preferably configured to create airflow originating at an inlet of the outer surface.

In some implementations the fan moduleand electric fans therein are controlled by any type of fan controller, e.g., such as a processor or other type of computing device to create this airflow. Accordingly, the electric fans in the fan modulemay be turned on to create the airflow, or off to stop the airflow, by a processor that is able to determine whether to supply the electric fans with a supply voltage. In other implementations, the electric fans may receive instructions from a processor, and these instructions may be implemented in the electric fans by the fan controllerthat controls motors in the fan modulethat are able to actually rotate the electric fans to create the airflow, or stop them from rotating off to end the airflow.

For instance, the positive and negative pressures formed by the electric fans while operating (e.g., rotating) create a bias that draws ambient air into the server assembly, pushes the ambient air through the interior formed by the outer surface, and out through an air outlet. The orientation and/or amplitude of the air pressures formed by the electric fans may be selectively adjusted by changing the dimensions (e.g., pitch, length, thickness, etc.) of the physical blades in the electric fans, the operating speed of the electric fan(s), the orientation of the electric fans, the direction in which blades of the electric fans rotate, etc. It follows that the specific amount of airflow that is desired for a given situation may be achieved.

According to a specific example, which is in no way intended to limit the invention, the server assemblyfunctions as part of an edge server, a HPC server, or any other type of server that would be apparent to one skilled in the art. Over time, this server may be faced with different workloads and therefore will be throttled between different throughput levels, causing the electrical components therein to experience a range of operating settings. The operating speed of the electric fans in the fan modulemay thereby be ramped up and down to achieve a sufficient airflow for the electrical components in the server assemblyto be cooled properly while also reducing power consumption and operating noise.

The electric fans in the fan modulemay thereby communicate with one or more sensors positioned throughout the server assembly. For instance, temperature sensors (not shown) may be positioned throughout the server assemblyand relay temperature-based information to a processor that controls the operating settings of the various electric fans in the fan module. The temperature sensors may be positioned adjacent to one or more air outlets of the server assembly. In other implementations, the temperature sensors may be positioned adjacent to air inlets of the server assembly. Moreover, temperature sensors positioned at an air inlet may identify the temperature of incoming ambient air which indicates the cooling capacity of the ambient air. Temperature sensors may also be placed in the outlets in some implementations. The operating settings of the electric fans may thereby be adjusted based on how effective the ambient air is at absorbing heat from the server assembly, e.g., as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art after reading the present description.

While some implementations herein use temperature information to determine electric fan operating settings, any desired type of information may be used. For instance, information received from one or more humidity sensors, noise (audio) sensors, vibration sensors, workload sensors, etc. and/or combinations thereof, may be used to determine the desired operating speed of the electric fans in various implementations.

In some implementations, operating settings of the electric fans in the fan modulemay be determined based on the various electrical componentsin the system. For instance, the server assemblymay function as an edge server, a HPC server, or any other type of server. As noted above, electric fans included in servers may have an impact on an airflow throughout a server assembly. The operating conditions of electrical components in the server assembly are thereby taken into consideration in some implementations while controlling the operating settings of the electric fans. In other words, the process of controlling operating settings of the electric fans in the fan moduleis based on how the various components in the server assemblyare operating. For example, an operating speed of the electric fans may be increased by a predetermined amount in response to determining that the CPUs in the pairsare operating at 50% or more of a maximum achievable throughput. The operating speed of the electric fans may also be decreased based on how the electrical componentsare operating. For example, an operating speed of the electric fans may decrease by a predetermined amount in response to determining that the electrical componentsare operating at 50% or less of a maximum achievable throughput, e.g., as will soon become apparent.

It follows that depending on the configuration and/or operating settings of the electric fans in the fan module, they may consume an unnecessary amount of power, produce a significant amount of noise, and/or cause an undesirable amount of turbulence along the airflow path in some situations. As noted above, conventional implementations have been unable to improve thermal regulation without sacrificing performance capabilities. In sharp contrast, implementations included herein are able to maintain high amounts of thermal capacity without sacrificing power and/or negatively impacting performance levels.

It should again be noted that while various components in the server assemblyhave been depicted and/or described as being positioned in certain configurations, this is in no way intended to be limiting. Rather, the different portions of the server assemblymay be implemented (e.g., positioned) differently. Similarly, the configuration of the server assemblyitself is in no way intended to be limiting.

It follows that approaches included herein are able to significantly improve thermal capacity while reducing power consumption. Moreover, these improvements over conventional implementations have been achieved without limiting performance. In other words, the approaches herein are able to significantly improve the efficiency by which thermal regulation of server assemblies like edge servers and HPC servers is performed, while also reducing their noise profiles such that they may be place in locations having greater noise sensitivity than typical server warehouses. The reduced power consumption resulting from more efficient performance also expands applicability of server assemblies like edge servers and HPC servers. Moreover, these improvements to thermal regulation and power consumption do not result in a corresponding reduction in performance, e.g., as typically experienced by conventional implementations.